Arzu Güneysu

I am a lecturer at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems. My research interests include various topics in Human-Computer Interaction, Adaptive Technology-Enhanced Therapy, Iterative Design, Participatory Design, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Gamified Therapeutic Technologies, Healthy Aging, Intergenerational Practices for the Elderly and Children, and Special Education.

Previously I was a Digital Futures postdoc fellow in the Division of Robotics Perception and Learning at KTH with the project on Designing Gamified Robot-Enhanced Interventions for Children with Neurodevelopmental Difficulties.  I got my Ph.D. in Robotics on “Designing Gamified Activities with Haptic-Enabled Tangible Robots for Therapy and Assistance” from EPFL, in 2021.

In my previous research, I had the chance to design for the therapy of multiple patient groups going through cognitive or physical rehabilitation from 3 to 77 years old.   Neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) is an umbrella term defining a group of conditions that are attributed to impairment of the brain and-or neuromuscular system including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy (CP), development coordination disorder (DCD), etc.

From an early age, these difficulties result in different degrees of emotional, physical, social, academic as well as economic consequences for individuals, and in turn families, and eventually society. I believe that with intelligent technologies and gamification, we can provide effective interventions and practices where we design inclusive, adaptive, and engaging practices with and for neurodivergent children.

My future research focus is co-designing and developing gamified technology-enhanced interventions for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental difficulties (NDDs). The research will be based on an iterative design approach to develop interventions for and with the target user groups tailored to the individual to enhance the functional recovery of sensorimotor, social, or cognitive functions in children with NDDs. I aim to investigate what the role of technology in different inclusive practices, including neurodivergent and neurotypical groups where they play and learn together, how to involve children in the design process of technology-mediated activities, and how to design inclusive gamified practices to enhance social interaction between the neurotypical and neurodivergent children as well as their families.